


I Hold Up The Sky

by DarkLadyEris



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Baby Teddy Lupin, Canonical Character Death, Cinnamon Roll Harry Potter, Female Harry Potter, Gen, Harry Potter Has Sky Flames, Harry Potter Needs a Hug, Harry Potter is Lord Black, Harry Potter is Lord Potter, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Kidnapping, Not Epilogue Compliant, Therapy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-24
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:01:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26075317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkLadyEris/pseuds/DarkLadyEris
Summary: Harry was minding her own business when she gets kidnapped (again) while on vacation where she encounters a strange fellow.
Comments: 108
Kudos: 878





	1. The Sky meets the Sun

**Author's Note:**

> Forwarning, I do not speak Italian, I used Google Translate which is awful at best and hilariously misunderstanding at worst. So my apologizes for any mistakes, if you know the correct way to phrase such, please feel free to inform me.

> _🎵Once I was twenty years old, my story got told  
>  Before the morning sun, when life was lonely  
>  Once I was twenty years old🎵_

She is nine months old the first time she performs magic, summoning the family’s ginger cat from across the room into her eager hands, much to the astonishment of her parents. She is eighteen months old when she manages to vaporize the Dark Lord with the help of her mother who briefly flares in light green flames with her dying will of, _‘Not Harry!’_ and unusual orange flames that erupt from her own body but it does not burn her, it shields her, protects her from the one who seeks to harm her though she doesn't know it yet nor does she remember the warmth and safety the flames promised. She is three when her hair: soft, black curls that only illuminate how pretty, how different she is compared to the Dursleys, grows back overnight after Aunt Petunia chops it off. She is five when she manages to unlock the Cupboard door to sneak into the kitchen to eat because her stomach feels like it is eating itself and her last meal was three days ago and the only thing giving her energy is a strange warmth inside her chest, that urges her to eat, to sneak some snacks into her cupboard and hide them under a loose board to prepare, just in case. She is seven when she manages to apparate on to the gymnasium roof to escape Dudley and his friends.

> _🎵Once I was 7 years old my momma told me  
>  Go make yourself some friends or you'll be lonely  
>  Once I was 7 years old🎵_

She is seven when a strange man with white hair and a funny mask asks her if she wants to help be a superhero and all she has to do is carry a pacifier around her neck. Little Harry looks up with wide, _neverinnocent_ eyes and agrees because something within her, something that has kept the hunger at bay, that heals the hurts and makes the pain go away, tells her she must say yes, _cannotsayno, **BAD THINGS will happen if she says no.**_ She is not told that she could live longer if she changes her shape to a toddler, she is not told of the orange flames that wait to be called forth or the world that the flames belong too. She is told nothing but that she must hide the Pacifier, cannot show anyone because it will lead to **Bad Things.** She looks at the man with the funny mask and knows, feels it in her very core, that he is tired and sad and so many emotions she does not have the name for yet, and she makes a silent promise to herself to do her very best when she grows up to make it so he won’t be sad for much longer.

She is nine when she talks to a Boa and releases the similarly caged snake to _freedom._ She is eleven when she finds out she is a witch, that her parents were too and they were murdered because of her; she is eleven when she kills for the first time consciously, orange flames covering her hands and burning her teacher to ashes while the familiar light green flame that gives her the feeling of a cuddle, of unrelenting love that spreads from the scar on her forehead, bouncing the curses away and protecting her from harm acting as a shield. She is twelve when she sacrifices herself for the first time but not the last time, when she slays a thousand-year-old monster and becomes poisoned and in turn, poisonous. She is thirteen when she learns that sometimes authority figures cannot be trusted and she can only rely on herself and the orange flames with the undertone of green that terrify the Dementors away, shrieking a spine-chilling sound in fear. She is fourteen when she is tortured for the first time and watches someone die for being in the wrong place, at the wrong time. She is fifteen when she feels true hatred and rage for the first time and her hand and soul are forever marked by it. She is fifteen when she learns that sometimes, words can leave lasting, scarring impressions. She is sixteen when she understands betrayal. She is seventeen when she dies for the _first_ but not _last_ time.

> _🎵Once I was twenty years old, my story got told  
>  I was writing about everything, I saw before me  
>  Once I was twenty years old  
>  Soon we'll be thirty years old, our songs have been sold  
>  We've traveled around the world and we're still roaming  
>  Soon we'll be thirty years old🎵_

Magic had always been with her, from her first breath to her last, a constant presence that was never far away and never like what everyone else described it. Magic fills her up and surrounds her, it tickles every spot and leaves with every breath. It weaves through the very cracks in her soul, the empty spaces left behind from having a soul shard sharing space beside her very own soul. It soothes and comforts as nothing else in her entire life has and with every little caress, she falls deeper into a peace she has never known. She can feel magic, freely given, dance on her skin, and taste it on her tongue. She has never quite fully understood the soothing undertone of _warmthprotectioncare_ that hides underneath the magic, mingling and separating in a coexisting manner. She thinks that perhaps magic and death tangle and dance around her, laying claim and fighting for custody over her soul. It brings an amused smile to her face at the thought of a bickering mother magic and stoic father death arguing in a court of Eternals over who deserves to have custody of her full time.

She is seventeen when Death, her patron because while she carries the title of Master of Death, Death is infinitely older than her and could never actually accept a Master, shuffles her life around with a gentle nudge towards Gringott’s, from there, she is directed towards a complete family tapestry of the Black’s where she discovers that there is a small branch family that lives in Italy and she accepts the sudden push from both her instincts and Death to book a flight through the goblins. She may have been born a child of Magic, will forever call her Mother and be blessed with her gifts, but Death has earned it's due and she can welcomes both with open arms in her all-encompassing soul. She laughs at Death's not-at-all subtle nudging and agrees, having spent the past several months after the war burying the dead and hiding away from the masses who swarm her, overwhelm her with their needy, violent magic. It has made her a recluse in the very apartment that Sirius was shut away in and she yearns for something she has never had before but has always desperately wished to have, to hold, to feel at home, to be loved by family. She takes the escape for what it is and runs away with nary but a letter addressed to Hermione and Ron and spirited away an infant, orphaned child with her with the blessings of Andromeda, who longs for some peace by herself to mourn. The plane ride is easy but long and she spends the flight time dozing and reading, only being woken by a stewardess who informs her they are landing.

Teddy, only a few months old, fusses only momentarily at all the shifting about and noise in his car seat as they disembark the plane before Harry allows her orange _homefamilyloveharmony_ magic to cocoon the child in resemblance of a hug. The witch gazes around the airport, eyes taking in the new sights and extremely grateful for a translation charm that she had cast before leaving, giving her an idea of the words spoken and written around her. With the brilliant flare of magic around her, so unconscious a reaction to soothing the child, Harry does not see the sudden whiplash several people take to look around before zeroing in on her. She is ignorant of the piercing gazes as she looks up from Teddy to find the correct exit in the terminal. With another invisible nudge that keeps her distracted from the attention, Death urges her away from the airport and toward a taxi.

Florence is beautiful and Harry spends the first week after finding a nice hotel to stay in, exploring the city, tasting every bit of food that catches her attention, buying souvenirs for her friends, and buying toys and clothes for Teddy. Winky is a godsend, helping care for Teddy during the night so Harry can try and sleep, though the nightmares limit what peaceful sleep she can gain on a regular basis. She takes the handle of hours when she can and basks in the love the infant gives her with no stipulations.

Her fear has kept her from contacting the Italian branch of Blacks until then, fearful of their answers. She sends a letter off after much prompting from Winky with a carrier owl during her second week in Italy, unable to push it off any longer. 

She knows her little vacation will have to have something happen, she begins thinking three weeks in, without a response yet from the Black’s and having traveled to Ravenna to see the ocean. Something always happens whenever she is enjoying herself, as rare as that is. She is right in her dismal luck, in that while exploring a market she had accidentally stumbled upon, that boasts beautiful craftsmanship that easily catches her attention, enjoying a rare moment of beautiful sunshine while Winky has taken Teddy back to their hotel room for his nap, that she ends up kidnapped and thrown into the back of a van that speeds away before she can even defend herself.

Harry sits wide-eyed on the seat bench between two henchmen who stare at her with the star-struck expression that reminds her violently of a certain camera-carrying wizard and she recoils into the seat. While she has her wand strapped to her holster on her arm, it is invisible and she is currently only wearing a light, white summer dress, decorated in soft flowers for a feminine touch with a pair of Grecian sandals and a matching sun hat. The pair and the driver are silent during the ride, either entirely too focused on driving or on herself for Harry to get any kind of clue about where she is being taken and every shift or movement gathers their eye so she can't try to escape yet.

Harry licks her lips nervously as several minutes pass before they are pulling into an estate, a large one judging by the thick gate and guards standing outside of it. She is gently, much more so than anytime she had ever been kidnapped before (with possibly the only exception being Barty Crouch Junior, who had seemingly decided she had become his Lord's Heir and had been trying to smuggle her out of the castle when he had been caught), carried out of the van. She has only a moment to glance around the courtyard before she is carried inside the doorway to a luxurious entry room before being shuffled up a large, extravagant staircase, down a long hallway before she was ushered into a large, furnished bedroom suite. 

The young woman felt her eye twitch momentarily as she glanced around her surroundings, taking note of everything. There were several large windows, with one opening into a small balcony that overlooked what had to be a vibrant garden given the amount of green she could see. The large four-poster bed was delicately carved with silk sheets and a matching blanket. The furniture of the bedroom which included the dresser, end tables, vanity, chest and bed set, were all a rich, dark oak wood. Combined with the overall lavishness the entire property is decorated with, the room dripped in wealth. She hated every millimeter of the entire room and everything it stood for as a whole. 

She spends two days locked away in the room with her only visitors being the two meatheads she has affectionately dubbed Goyle and Crabbe in memory of her two old classmates before she finally gives into the urge to escape. The room has the most elegant and feminine dresses that she has ever seen and the witch loathes them and what they represent. There are expensive looking jewelry located on the boudoir and shoes that even she knows must have cost a pretty copper. Harry spends the two days wearing the relaxing t-shirt and jeans she had been wearing during her shopping trip and refuses to do anything with the rest of the clothing available to her. When she is done waiting, for someone to tell her their grand plans or whatever they have planned for her, she is quick to actually escape. She makes quick work of the grunts, knocking them unconscious and strolling out of the room as if she had not a care in the world.

It is as she is exploring the opulent manor, peeking into rooms and sending a stupefy directly into the face of any opposition that she finds a man, tied to a chair in what is obviously supposed to be a prison cell on the basement floor. The witch pauses only for a moment before she wanders towards him, taking note of the fact that he appears to be unconscious - though her eyes narrow on the softly subtle twitch of his finger as her shadow draws within view of him. Ah, perhaps not as unconscious as he would like their captors to believe. Her intuition sings to her and Harry follows along with its urging. "Mi scusi, parla inglese?"

The man's head raises slowly to look at her and Harry blinks in surprise at his roguishly good looks - he is well dressed despite his captivity with a tailored three piece suit. His hair is dark brown, almost black in color and with the pattern it is currently in, Harry has a feeling he typically wears a hat. He looks at her for a moment, eyes gauging her obvious common clothes and foriegn features before something warm and fuzzy runs up against her magic and neatly causes her to melt into a pile of goo on the floor. She feels tingly all over, with the hair rising on her arms in goosebumps at the feeling. She can’t help sending her own magic back in return, feeling it caress up against him, he seems to sag momentarily in his seat before his breath seems to catch, brown eyes widening momentarily before he answers her, "My lady, where are your guardians? You shouldn't be without them in a place like this." His tone is lightly scolding and Harry can't stop her impulsive bristling if she tried, not that she does. She doesn’t care for someone attempting to chide her when she just finished a war, thank you very much. 

"I will have you know that I am seventeen and am legally considered an adult, thank you very much. Let's get you out of these ropes." She bends down to untie the knot only to find him shrugging out of the hold and standing up without any hardship, as if he could have escaped anytime he wished. 

"Nessun tutore? Chi è la tua famiglia? Sei un civile1?" He asks.

"Oh." She murmurs, standing back up to find that she has to crane her head back slightly to stare at him. "Um, I kind of understand your question. I'm a tourist- I was visiting the area on vacation. Two henchmen or whoever they were kidnapped me from the market. I got bored of waiting for whoever it was that is their leader and decided to leave."

The man sucks in a sharp breath, mouth tightening at whatever thought he had before bending over in a bow, reaching for her outstretched hand and placing a gentle kiss on the back of her right hand. Harry gave a small grimace at the momentary stillness of the scar on the back of her hand before he continued as if he didn't notice it. "My Lady, it would be my honor to escort you out of here and to safety in lieu of your guardians."

He is quick to gather up what Harry assumes to be his belongings, which include a hat with a yellow ribbon on the brim, two handguns and a cell phone. They leave the room, with the stranger leading her through the hallways with a firm grasp on her hand as if she would get left behind despite technically her being the one who had found him. They face few opposition, with the handful of hired help that they come across getting a bullet to the forehead. Harry can't stop her startled gasp the first it happens, drawing the man's attention. "How did you get down to my cell? Where were you located? Do we need to grab anything? How did you escape your room?"

Harry barely manages to tear her gaze from the dead body to the hitman in front of her. "I...I… I was upstairs, in one of the suites I think. I grabbed what few items I had from when they kidnapped me. I've just been knocking everyone unconscious when I've stumbled upon them."

"Figlio di puttana2!" He curses out before hurrying down the hallway. She finds herself thoroughly lost within moments as almost all of the hallways look identical. It is roughly half an hour later that he has stolen a car from their garage after stumbling upon it and they are driving away. Harry takes a moment of their awkward silence to check on her faulty intuition to find it silent and mentally scowls at it. 

Her magic swarms up from her core to soak into her skin, easing any hurts that linger and wrapping her in a warm embrace. The witch is drawn out of her mental basking to find the man serving again, cursing under his breath and glancing at her wild eyed. Harry takes a moment to realize that she doesn't even know this man's name and summons up her Gryffindor courage to ask, "What's your name?"

The man looks away from the road to look back at her, "I am known as Reborn, the World's Greatest Hitman, at your service. May I have the honor of knowing your name, cielo principessa3?"

Harry glances at him for a moment before letting out a shy smile in return. "I'm Harry, it's nice to meet you.”

“Harry…” Reborn trails off his sentence, obviously expecting her to tell him her surname.

“Just Harry.” The witch answers, a pleased smile growing across her face. She loves the thrill that echoes in her heart over someone not immediately knowing who she is, where she has come from, supposedly everything there is to know about her.

“Where were you staying?” He asks, eyes focusing back on the road though Harry can still see him paying her the upmost attention from the corner of his eye.

“The Regal Pinnacle Hotel and Spa in Ravenna.” She informs him, watching his eyes momentarily widden before narrowing slightly. The hotel was an extravagant one, and certainly cost more a night than most of the higher priced hotels in the area. Harry merely hide her smile, knowing the image she portrayed was vastly different from what she was actually worth. Between the Potter family fortune, the Black family fortune, and the numerous vaults she had inherited from people who had donated it to her upon their passing due to her defeat of the Dark Lord as well as the bounty she had claimed after the War, she had become one of the richest people in the entire Magical World and easily in the world. The Potter’s held the patents for some of the most popular potions around, getting a portion of any income generated from their sale. The Black’s owned numerous businesses and homes, estates and villas that all generated income on a monthly basis.

“Ah, we will be there in an hour or so, signorina. Do you wish to call anyone to inform them you are safe?” He asked, reaching into his pocket to pull out a cell phone.

Harry sent a beaming smile in his direction, “Thank you.” She dialed the number for the hotel, before typing in her room number when prompted. She hummed gently under her breath while she waited for the call to connect.

“Winky speaking for Misses Potter.” Winky answered softly into the phone.

“Hi Winky, it’s Harry.”

“Misses Harry, we is been missing you. You is okay?”

“I’ve been doing okay, I got kidnapped again. I’m currently on my way back now with a kind gentleman who helped me escape.” Harry explained.

“Winky is glad you is being okay, Misses Harry. Baby is doing good, he is napping. Misses letter from Blacks has arrived. They be wanting to speak with you as soon as you are available. They says they need to figure out who be new Don for the family.”

“Thank you Winky, I’ll deal with the Blacks once we are back. I shall see you in an hour or so.” Harry said.

“Yes Misses, we be seeing you and guest soon. Winky will be ready.”

“Thank you, and if you wouldn’t mind preparing a meal, I find I’m frightfully hungry and I do not think I will have the patience to cook, I would appreciate it so very much.”

Winky seemed to perk up at the thought, “Misses be letting Winky cook? Winky begins now, no take backsies.” The elf hung up without another word, startling a laugh from the witch at the eagerness she displayed. Winky had been very upset upon learning that Harry liked cooking for their small family.

Reborn glanced over at her before accepting the phone back, tucking it back into his pocket. “I couldn’t help but overhear, you said the Blacks?”

Harry smiled softly, “Yes, I believe they go by the Nero family over here. I recently inherited the Head of for the entire family and I have been trying to get into contact with them for a few weeks.”

The car swerved again, “I’m sorry, did you just say that you became the Head of the Nero familiga?” Reborn asked, eyebrows raising in surprise until she couldn’t see them under the low tilt of his hat.

“Yes,” she answered, quirking an eyebrow at him in question. 

“In cosa sono incappato?” He murmured to himself.

Harry merely hummed in answer, her translation charm had worn off the day before and she had no idea what he was saying anymore whenever he spoke in Italian. He had said he was the World’s Greatest Hitman, perhaps she could hire him as a bodyguard for a few weeks until she figured out who had kidnapped her and why they had done so in the first place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: While I have another chapter or so planned for this, don't expect an update soon. It'll probably be a while before I come back to this particular fic. It's not abandoned by any means but it will be on the back burner while I finish up my Rebirth fic.
> 
> Check out my tumblr at darkladyeris for updates to my fics, my general thoughts or even if you want to put in a request.
> 
> Translations for the Italian spoken words:
> 
> 1 ) Nessun tutore? Chi è la tua famiglia? Sei un civile? = No guardians? Who is your Family? You are a civilian?
> 
> 2 ) Figlio di puttana = son of a bitch
> 
> 3 ) cielo principessa = Princess Sky
> 
> 4) In cosa sono incappato? = what have I stumbled upon?


	2. Misconceptions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reborn learns more about the mysterious Sky that he helped rescue and nothing turns out the way he expected. Choas!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise! I'm not dead!

Winky is waiting for the duo the moment Harry steps foot outside of the elevator to her private floor that hosts only one other suite, probably having sensed her mistress approaching the moment she had entered the hotel’s glass doors. Having forewarned her, Winky is standing illusioned as a human, with plain brown hair and eyes, nondescript features, and wearing a classic maid's uniform. Harry couldn't be happier having the nanny elf with her as while Kreacher had come to adore his mistress - she honored Regulus, she brought the House of Black up from the pits, had made it a house of honor once again, and was even raising the next Black Heir - he loathed being around muggles and could never stop his muttering insults, which made it all the more difficult to hide in plain sight. He adored Teddy, was fascinated by the Black Heir having a long-dormant trait-like his mother had, and practically bowed and scraped over the infant whenever given the opportunity.

Harry had long since asked Kreacher to dedicate his time to finding the cast-off Black family members, those who were once-unwanted, and to care for the Black family properties. It kept the older house-elf busy and most importantly, out of the way of her vacation. It helped give him the feeling of self-importance of helping to revive the once Great house of Black.

"Greetings Mistress and guest." Winky welcomes grandly as the duo approaches, dropping down in a deep curtsey with her head bowed. She has every fiber of her being radiating with servitude, eyes dropped down to the ground and not rising until given leave to do so. Harry drops a hand down to pat at her head, smiling kindly at the illusioned house-elf as she rose gracefully from her curtsey but stayed where she was standing.

"I'm glad to be back, Winky. This is Reborn, the gentleman who helped me escape. Reborn, this is Winky." She gestured in greeting before stepping into the suite and feeling the protective wards register her arrival. They brush against her and her guest, welcoming her and inspecting his intent before allowing him entry. Despite only being temporary and moveable, similar in many aspects to the ward stones Hermione had created during their year-long camping trip, they were still strong as she had heavily imbued her magic into it. She refused to go anywhere without basic wards now for protection when she had Teddy depending on her. Too many kidnapping and assassination attempts on herself had caused her to be wary. After all, it wasn't paranoia if they really were after you.

A soft coo from further in the suite quickly gathered her attention and the witch made her way to the living space of the suite, wherein a soft rocker laid Teddy, who was distracted by the hanging mobile above him which boasted a black, furry dog, a stag and doe, a friendly grey wolf and a pink bee (as Tonks had always reminded Harry of a bee, busy and moving and unable to be still for a single moment). The young godmother immediately gathered him up in her arms, resting her cheek against his head as she wrapped her magic - which was orange-tinted once again - around him in a loving embrace. Nothing soothed him more than feeling the soft, loving warmth of magic. She pointedly ignored the soft choking sound Reborn made behind her as he entered the suite. Whether it was by her child or her magic, she wasn't sure. The Italian's she had noticed, tended to flaunt their magic physically, walking around with it proudly displayed so she didn't think anything of it by letting it ooze out. They also frequently had different colors associated with their magic - Harry had noted the abundance of blue and indigo, red and yellow, green and purple, and on a lesser note, an orange similar to her own.

Harry hummed under her breath as she rocked the infant in her arms, swaying lightly. "I missed you, my love." She allowed herself another moment to cuddle him before the calls of nature took precedence and laid him back down before turning back towards her guest. "I'm going to shower quickly and change out of my clothes. Winky can show you to one of the bathrooms if you need it. I'll be back shortly."

With that said, the witch was eager to turn and head further into the suite to the luxurious master bathroom that boasted a whirlpool tub and a separate walk-in shower. It was her one guilty pleasure, especially after using the Prefect's bath in her Fourth Year. Being on the run during her Seventh year had taught her to appreciate the finer things that while she hadn’t necessarily taken for granted (living with the Dursley’s had often meant going several days between being able to properly bathe herself, or simply using the hose to wash herself off), it had certainly brought about the desperate need to shower frequently now that she was able to and spending just an hour or so in the bath always relaxed her more than she had ever expected. It gave her the valuable time to rest by herself, without the outside world demanding one thing or another from her.

Harry smiled as she walked into the room, noting that Winky had already prepared the bath for her with rose petals and scented oils. Everything she needed cosmetically was lined up on a rolling tray next to the bath itself, loaded with bottles of body wash, shampoo, conditioner, bubbles, soaps, bath bombs, and salt mixes. Within moments, Harry shed the dirty clothes she was wearing and slipped into the water, nothing could beat a hot bath after not showering for several days.

* * *

Renato Sinclair couldn't believe his luck regarding this entire experience and what had happened over the past twenty-four hours. He had allowed himself to be kidnapped by the Scavo Familiga so that he could investigate their sudden brags and claims about having an all-powerful sky. Timoteo had hired him to find out more information about what the Scavo family had done as their Familiga wasn't known for having strong Skies let alone pure ones. The whole situation had seemed off and Renato himself, had found it suspicious and had arranged a scenario where he allowed himself to be kidnapped, as if these low-lives, these scum could have ever gotten the drop on him, the World's Greatest Hitman - he was good at waiting out the enemy and had already begun healing the wounds from his torture session, just a disappointment.

They had barely caused any internal bruising and most of it was only superficial. He had been thoroughly disgusted with their lack of pride in their work and had planned on escaping the pitiful ropes holding him and exploring the property only for a young woman practically bleeding out Sky flames to appear in his room. They had been vibrant, unrestrained, and pulsing fiercely around her that he had paused and basked in their warmth as they caressed against his skin in curiosity. So young, so strong, she likely had no idea what she was doing and he had to restrain a shudder going through his body before he took charge of the situation. He had presumed that she was the sky in question considering she did not look like she belonged here with the Scavo's. She was definitely one of the English, her soft accent floating in the air only added how much she did not belong with the Scavo's and he resolved to help her escape as well. The very thought of leaving a young sky alone, surrounded by the bastardly Scavo left a bad taste in his mouth and had his flames raging in pure hatred of the idea. He would escort her to safety, he would ensure she arrived safely in the arms of the familiga before he allowed another flame user to possibly harm her.

He knew next to nothing about her, regardless of the fact that he noted she was covered in scars - ones that spoke of childhood abuse and several scars that looked as if they should have been fatal. Including the carving of words in her hand that made the Sun in him pulse angrily at the thought that she had been tortured, especially as a child as he noted how young she looked and how old the scars seemed to be, several years old judging by how faded they were in her skin. She would have been a young teenager. He wondered if she was the victim of Sky Envy - especially with how powerful she was, he wouldn't be surprised to hear at how another Sky resented her and attacked her or even someone who wanted her to be their sky attacked her in rage, it wouldn't be the first time he had heard of it happening before.

He had witnessed it several times himself, where a Sky had two basic reactions to another Sky (with the only exception being unless they were directly blood related) when it came to other Skies: either they loved each other, bonded fiercely in friendship or one loathed the other and would set out to harm or destroy the other. The worst was when an element became obsessed over a sky; Reborn had seen elements self-destruct when they inevitably were looked over or the sky chose someone else. He had seen some retaliate by attacking the sky or exploding and attempting to kill anyone who happened to be in the vicinity to them. It was nasty to witness, and one reason why he had long since stepped away from desperately searching for a Sky once he realized that none either interested him or were strong enough to pull him in.

Deciding to escort her out of the building and to safety, surprised that not only was a Sky doing whatever they pleased but that she held no guardians, he introduced himself to her as Reborn, not wanting to give her his real name quite yet. She seemed almost naive about the mafia and certainly perplexed when he had a few subtle hints in their conversations. Perhaps she really was clueless, a civilian who had been kidnapped by the Scavo's indeed. It would explain why he did not know of her and how the Scavo's got a hold of her, especially if they just picked her up off the street. A civilian Sky without a single guardian, she was just asking to be kidnapped.

Along the way of escorting her back to her hotel, Renato was surprised to find out that she was a part of the Nero Famiglia except that unless she was the world's greatest actress, he had a funny feeling she didn't know what the Famiglia part meant. They were an old family, if not one of the oldest in the mafia, having been a nobility when Rome was at its highest peak of conquest.

The Nero Famiglia typically stayed out of the way of the politics surrounding everything and there was a vast amount of rumors about them having different branches of the family in different countries. They all answered to one Boss, who hadn't visited Italy for a few decades, and in all likelihood, this little Sky probably was the new Nero Boss which made the whole situation a lot more interesting. A new boss who didn't know anything about flames or the mafia. The fact that the Scavo's had abducted the Nero boss and held her hostage meant that the Scavo Familiga would not be around for very much longer as it was akin to declaring war. The Nero's were known for wiping entire famiglias off the face of the world, hunting down every last man, woman, and child-related to them. They had done so with several old Famiglias back in the day, for one insult or another. They were known for being ruthless, cunning, and vengeful.

Reborn couldn't help but think that the entire situation was odd: why had she come to Italy now? Why did she have no guardians? What was going on with her? And where was the father of the child? He didn't want to believe that the father of the child could just walk away from the situation, especially considering her high status but he could feel the soft rainy-ness the boy seemed to exude that had Reborn feeling like the father had been an active rain. If they had been an active rain, why had they not bonded? Why was the rain not protecting her? The girl wasn't married, she had no ring or even a mark on her finger suggesting that she took one-off. The only ring she had was a large family emblem that looked like a Lord's ring which helped cement what he learned about her. There were so many questions he wanted to be answered and it seemed like none of them would be with the way things were heading.

He sighed softly, taking a moment to gaze around the impressive bathroom he had been directed to by the maid. Though judging by the sharp way the woman watched him from the moment he had appeared by the Sky's side, Reborn didn't believe for one moment that the maid wouldn't leap to her mistress's defense the moment he showed the slightest bit of aggression. The maid radiated no flames, not even latent ones but Reborn had no doubt that the woman would brutally attempt to murder him if he showed ill-will to her masters. It was good the Sky had a loyal servant with her, as she seemed like the type who was stubborn and reckless and often in trouble. And at least the maid seemed to not trust him, which was a major point in her favor. The young Boss seemed almost too-trusting and it rankled his instincts something fierce. That just begged for someone to take advantage of, if someone hadn’t already and he wondered if that was the reason why she was alone, with no guardians but seemed to follow the adaptation of, 'once bitten, twice shy'.

Skies should be protected, should be watched over, and allowed to grow and flourish but they should also be wary of being attacked on any battlefield: physically, mentally, or politically. She seemed to have a strong lack of self-esteem that did not bode well for her future. Anyone could take advantage of her and it would not be good. Not for herself, her famiglia or her future elements. He had a feeling he would not enjoy finding out why exactly her self-esteem was so low on its own.

The matter was taken out of his hands when he had walked back into the open living space of the suite to find the woman radiating her flames to gently caress the child, soothing licks that elicited peels of baby babble. Reborn couldn’t stop himself from choking in surprise. For a woman who had no idea what flames were, she had a surprising grasp of control that was astonishing if she was able to touch her child without her flames harming the other occupants in the room. Once he was calm, he took a seat on the sofa provided and gestured for her to take a seat across from him. He shuddered in his seat as her flames, curious and innocent, surged over him, playful against his own and enticing them to come to explore. If he didn't have as strong of control over himself, he would happily let his flames mix with hers and what she offered - except he was a gentleman through and through and he refused to bond with someone who had no idea of what they were offering, no matter how innocently seductive her flames were.

Reborn shuddered once more before he began explaining to her what her flames were and how they were manifested. It would be too dangerous for her to remain ignorant of such a thing for any longer as she was already active: a Sky and a powerful element in her own right. It simply spelled disaster to not say something. And while Reborn was all about chaos: he lived for it, thrived from it, bathed in it, he did not want misfortune to end up her way, not when she had not one iota of the dangers that would follow her for the rest of her life.

* * *

Harry took a moment to gaze at the man she had invited into her suite, "So you mean to tell me, that the orange flames represent something entirely different?" She asked, tilting her head lightly as she coaxed one to appear in her hand, it was a small thing, barely a wisp but it flowed gracefully in her hand, hypnotic almost in its gentle sway.

"Yes, the flames of the Sky are what holds the harmony of the Storm, Mist, Cloud, Rain, Lightning, and Sun. Everyone wishes to find the Sky that gives them harmony, one that fits them." He explained.

"What do the different flames mean?" She asked.

"Sun is yellow with the power of Activation. Cloud is purple with Propagation. The storm is red with Disintegration. Mist is indigo with Construction. Rain is blue with Tranquility. Lightning is green with Hardening. And finally, to complete the set is Sky, an orange, whose power is Harmony, bringing all of the other flames under their sky."

"This...bonding. It's consensual right? The Sky can't force them?" She hesitantly asked, drawing back into herself and Reborn was painfully reminded that she probably had to deal with others forcing themselves onto her, attracted to her Sky flames, and sought quickly to fix that idea.

"Skies cannot force someone to bond and flames will never accept a Sky that is weaker than their own. Skies are rare in our society and highly sought after - which is most likely why you were kidnapped. They would have tried forcing you to accept some of their elements and then you would have been tied down to them afterward. The bonding, it’s a serious matter, one for life. It bonds the flames to the Sky and it should be a serious matter, with courting.

Unfortunately, there are unscrupulous members of our society who believe that forcing themselves on a Sky is the way to attain one.” He glanced away from her face, scowl deepening across his face before he turned his attention back to her, “Once it gets out that the Scavo famiglia tried forcing a Sky, it is game over for them. They are without honor, and they will be blacklisted for what they have done if they aren’t annihilated altogether in retaliation.”

“Why, why would they be?” She asked head tilted curiously.

Reborn gazed at her sadly, noting that she was genuinely curious why anyone would care and he had to hold back the sigh that threatened to escape. “The old mafioso follow a set of rules, ones that we follow religiously as that is our code. To go against the code invites unwarranted chaos and the Vindice upon us all.” He made a quick sign of the cross as if it would ward them away.

To her credit, she merely blinked once at the information before deftly moving on, choosing not to ask who it was that struck fear into his heart. “So are the other flames absolutely necessary for a Sky?”

Reborn gazed at her for a moment, leaning back in his seat. “A Sky needs a full set of Guardians. Having even one open spot could lead to others attempting to force you into the bond. The role of the Guardians is to protect the Sky, especially while they build their set. Look for guardians who match the principles and morals you follow, which is part of what courting is meant to do - to weed out those who will be an ill fit.”

The Sky stared at him, eyeing him momentarily before whispering, “I think I had a mist - if, if what you said is true.”

Reborn’s eyes raised momentarily before he asked hesitantly, “Do you wish to tell me about your mist?”

“They were a set of twins - creative and curious and mischievous about everything they did. Last Spring, there were terrorist attacks in England you know, and we got caught at school during one of them. Fred, he, he was crushed by a wall in front of us - and George broke. He lost his other half and -” she glanced away, face etched in heartbreak.

Reborn couldn’t stop the urge in his flames even if he wanted to - and he most certainly did not, he might not be a cuddly man or an affectionate one, but even he couldn’t help sympathy from pouring out of him as he moved to sit next to her and gather her in his arms as silent sobs escaped her. Her shoulders shook as she cried, quietly, silently and Reborn had to look up at the ceiling. The only reason why someone cried silently was often that they were punished for being loud, they cried not for attention but simply because the weight on their hearts was too heavy. He simply held the young woman tighter, offering soothing words as he waited for her to settle down.

Minutes passed quietly, and Reborn glanced over to the crib where he noticed that the maid had disappeared with the child, most likely to allow her mistress time to recover without worrying about upsetting the baby and the Sun was thankful for her insight in the matter. The Sky sniffled once, rubbing her face to clear the tears from her face before she glanced up at him and Reborn could feel his heart drop and his flames flare briefly. The sight of her, with bright green eyes, dark lashes, framed by tears and the open, emotional face had him glancing away just as quickly. That was a sight that would have him destroying famiglia’s, he decided, and it was a dangerous one. “I’ve...I’ve never cried like that before.” She murmured as Reborn tugged her closer, allowing her to gain some more comfort from the hold.

“Can I ask what happened with the child’s father? I can tell that he was a Rain, but I am curious why he wouldn’t have bonded with you?” Reborn asked softly, raising one hand to card it carefully through her hai

“Remus, he wouldn’t have been my Rain.” She paused, before a soft, ‘oh’ escaped her as some realization hit. “He, he would have been my dad’s.”

Reborn couldn’t stop his eye twitch if he tried. Her father’s Rain begat a child with her. That spoke of a lot of things that would need plenty of counseling. “Ah,” he said, trying to figure out what to say.

“My parents were murdered when I was one.” He winced again, if the Rain had lost its Sky, he would latch onto the one thing that would hold him stable, it was never a good obsession and almost never turned out well, which would explain why the Rain would have a child with the child of his Sky. It made him feel disgusted knowing that the adult had probably taken advantage of her, considering she would have grown up with him as an adult figure and looked up to and trusted him. “If,” she paused in thought, “If my dad was a Sky, which makes sense when you consider how popular the Potter’s have always been, and Remus was his Rain, then Sirius was probably his Storm? Maybe his Cloud? Mum was definitely his Lightning and, _Pettigrew_ ,” she spat the name out with pure hatred that had his eyes widening in surprise. He had begun thinking that she wouldn’t be capable. “Pettigrew probably wasn’t a part of his set considering he betrayed everyone.”

Reborn winced lightly before tucking her in closer, “Remus and Tonks got married during the attacks and they named me Godmother of Teddy. They both died during the final battle and Andy, she’s Tonk’s mum, she said she was too old to take care of an infant so I have custody of him.”

The Hitman had to pause, shaking away his previous misconceptions, “So, the child isn’t yours biologically with the Rain?”

Harry glanced up at him, wrinkling her nose in disgust, “Ew. No, Remus was like my other godfather. If anything, Sirius and Remus were dating before Sirius d-died and then he married Tonks. It’s complicated.”

He blinked, “Ah.”

“Teddy’s mine though, I’ve claimed him as mine. I might not have given birth to him but I’m going to give him a better childhood than I got, I’m going to raise him the way he deserves.” She explained earnestly.

“I believe you,” he murmured to her before he gently kissed the top of her head. Silence drifted between the duo for several minutes before she spoke again.

“Do the flames create false feelings or anything?”

Reborn quirked an eyebrow at the thought before shaking his head and responding, “No, if anything you’ll feel things more amplified by how you are feeling.”

“I feel like my flames know you like I could trust you, to protect my back.” She whispered and Reborn stiffened up in surprise, eyes widening under his hat. Harry leaned her head back to stare at him, and Reborn couldn’t help the flinch at the sight of the bright orange blazing proudly in her eyes. “I feel comfortable with you like you are safe and mine.”

Reborn licked his lips momentarily, “Sometimes, it’s best to trust your flames. To follow their intuition. I can promise you, I will never knowingly harm you, I would fight your enemies and I would offer you everything that I am as your Sun.”

Harry pulled away from him, orange sparking as her head tilted, “Will you fight side by side with me or will you lock me away in a tower?”

“I have a feeling, that you like to fight your own battles.” He mused and couldn’t stop the flush that spread as she grinned at him, wild and carefree and so utterly beautiful in it’s the harmony that his breath hitched.

“Reborn, my name is Hariel Lilian Potter, and I would be honored to have you as my Sun.” She reached out with her hand and the Sun chuckled.

He accepted it before raising it to place a kiss on the back of her hand. “I would be honored to be the Sun that rests in your Sky. My name is Renato Sinclair, Mio cielo1.”

The moment his lips touched her hand, her bright, warm flames rushed out of her as if finally given permission and coaxed his own out. Reborn hadn’t heard of many bonding as quickly as they had but he wouldn’t ever say no to such a heartwarming person.

It took several minutes for their flames to die down long enough for the duo to cuddle again, with Reborn pulling her in closer. Winky appeared with tea, placing it down on the table in front of them before disappearing again. And while it wasn’t coffee, he supposed he could forgive the maid just this once. He reached over to pick up the cup, handing one first to his Sky - but only after sending a brief pulse of his flames into the tea, checking for any poisons, while she had survived this long without anyone, she definitely seemed like a danger magnet and he wouldn’t put it past her enemies to attempt to poison her. He took a long sip of his own tea once he was assured of her being comfortable with her own.

She paused as if she had just remembered something before she turned towards him and pulled a pacifier out from under her shirt. “Do you know anything about this?”

He couldn’t stop the spit-take if he tried, though he would deny it to his deathbed that he ever did as he stared at the item. “Wha... how?” He glanced between her and the pacifier, in shock.

Harry blinked up at him, “I’m not really sure? Some weird old guy gave it to me back when I was a kid.”

“Wait, what?”

“Yeah, I was in the garden weeding for Aunt Petunia and some guy told me that I could help save the world if I agreed to wear it.” She shrugged, “It hurt for a while, probably until I was twelve?” She paused, “Yeah, eleven when Quirrel tried killing me.”

“I’m sorry, who tried killing you?” Reborn asked, looking horribly concerned.

“My Defense teacher. It’s alright though, my orange flames came out and burnt his face off and his hands when they touched me.” She pointedly ignored him holding his hands in front of his face. “And then I died when I was twelve after I got bitten by the Basilisk and my soul was almost sucked out when I was thirteen and then I participated in a lethal tournament that killed a classmate, was tortured when I was fourteen and then when I was fifteen, I was tortured again, witness my godfather die for me, and then got possessed - but only for like, a couple of minutes, it’s fine - and at sixteen I watched my mentor get murdered in front of me and then the seventh year was just a giant mess.”

Reborn breathed out softly, looking horribly pained. “I’m sorry, I’m still in shock after the pacifier. What? What?” He blinked rapidly, “Oh cazzo. This, this is fate giving me my due for all the chaos I’ve caused isn’t it?” He murmured to himself, rubbing a hand across his face.

Harry blinked at him in surprise, eyes no longer shining orange, but instead just red and puffy from crying. “I probably shouldn’t tell you about the time that I literally got murdered and then woke back up, huh?”

“Madre di Dio.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly love Remus, this was purely from Reborn's point of view and how he was thinking that Harry had been taken advantage of, honestly! But that misunderstanding was cleared up quickly.
> 
> Also, Reborn took up all the screentime. I meant to have another member join this chapter - but that didn't happen. *shrugs* Instead they had a little heart-to-heart talk that I didn't realize was very much needed. 
> 
> No, instead I've dealt with my kiddo being sick and me having to take care of him for two months while he recovered - please keep safe my darlings during the pandemic. There is nothing scarier than watching your loved ones - especially a 4-year-old gasping for breath because he can't breathe and it's the most terrifying sound in the world. Depression I've been battling with, and I've been working full time this entire year except for our 3 months in Quarantine when my spawn was sick.
> 
> Instead, I finally said fuck it to everything and said I needed to get his out ASAP.


	3. Life...Finds A Way: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reborn has a midlife crisis, someone new is introduced and tea is drunken.

The newly bonded Sky and Sun spend several days in the suite, getting to know one another, opening up about their past before Reborn felt their bond was stable enough for them to leave the suite, between needing time to digest her life story and their bonding as Sky and Sun, it had involved several therapeutic crying sessions which he wholeheartedly approved of if it gave her clarity of mind. He had a horrendous feeling that she had not been given any kind of counseling regarding any of the traumatic situations she had found herself in and it had left him seething in rage. He had needed several days just to get over all of the shock and revelations she had put him through - and he now had a personal hit list to target when he had free time and she had other Guardians to guard her back from trouble.

His eye twitched at the thought, he didn’t want to share her with others - even if rationally he knew he needed to. He enjoyed the time, spending hours lost together and talking, getting to know one another, and having the time and space to bond as people not just as flames had been key. He knew, once he trained with her, got her up to speed, she would be one of the strongest flames if not strongest skies the mafioso had ever had the misfortune of seeing. He knew that it would be something he would have to make a priority over several hits he had lined up - her safety was paramount and if she attracted trouble the way she obviously had during her teenage years, he had a lot to cover to keep her safe and his sanity intact. Despite not starting the hardcore training yet, he had already begun working with her on some small training tactics that he knew worked for every flame type - he was just incredibly lucky that she had a vast amount of control for someone who hadn’t even realized that she had flames.

He still wasn't sure how she went so long from being active without being hunted by a Famiglia though he supposed that her being the new Head of the Nero famiglia had something to do with it. The famiglia was notorious for producing absolute Storms and Clouds, with the occasional Rain but to have a Sky lead them, one of the blood. That would boost their standing significantly and he could already see the headache that would be causing in the future.

He glanced down at the suit he was currently wearing it had arrived, he wasn’t sure when considering he never saw the maid leave the suite, but she had somehow managed to procure several changes in clothing including almost identical copies of his suit as well as loose clothing and pajamas. It all fit him perfectly too, right down to the inseam and Reborn had to hand it to the maid for going above and beyond expectations, though it did explain why Harry had such nice clothing despite the personality of one who did not care what they wore in the slightest.

Reborn had a funny feeling that Winky - what an atrocious name, not that he would ever physically say anything - had supplied the Skies' entire wardrobe probably without her knowing and he mentally tipped his hat off towards the maid. A powerful and subtle move, one he wholeheartedly agreed with. Harry deserved to be dressed in the finest of clothes, she deserved to be bathed in gold and riches. He could already see that his Sky did not like things too fancy, preferred a more down-to-earth realism that he could also appreciate for its practicality.

Their plan for the day was simple - Reborn felt too uncomfortable staying long term in a place that he hadn't already set up protections in place and Harry had grown weary of the town after being kidnapped so they planned on getting a little shopping in, with Reborn escorting and guarding her, Winky would pack the suite up and then they would all head to the condo safe house he had set up not too far away. He'd already ordered a car to be delivered to the front of the hotel in two hours' time.

The Hitman held out his arm for her, feeling pride when she eagerly curled her own hand around the crook of his elbow and allowed him to escort her out of the suite. They were going to go for a small walk around the area before heading back to the suite to check out. Reborn had a meeting with the other Arcobelano a few days further in Italy and he wanted to have a secure location for her to hide prior to the start of the meeting and the subsequent mission that Luce would inevitably dump on them.

Still, he would not begrudge the young woman a chance to go browsing in the market, especially with someone who spoke Italian fluently who could not only translate but also inform her of interesting facts about the products. It had a certain civility to it that Reborn hadn’t felt for probably most of his life but he couldn’t deny that he was looking forward to spending time with her. He had never felt parental over someone before but he imagined that if he would ever become a father, he would feel like this. 

Teddy took up a majority of her time, not that Reborn could fault either of them for it, he just had to get used to sharing - though it certainly helped to have the baby shifting his hair or eyes to match his own - even memorably popping up with his sideburns and Reborn could almost imagine that he had a family - could imagine Harry as his precious daughter or sister and Teddy as his grandchild or even his nephew. Perhaps nephew because he wasn’t old enough to have a grandchild. He was only in his thirties after all. He also had never realized that he could be jealous of an infant before - though that was before he realized that him witnessing her covering the baby in her flames to soothe him was a regular practice and he had sulked for a while until she had finally noticed and had begun to coat him in it as well. It always resulted in making him feel like a puddle of goo like he had just received the best massage of his life. 

He cleared his throat, glancing over at her in a sundress that was a soft, yellow that was his color, and leaned over to place a gentle kiss on her head before he led her to the elevator. He could definitely portray the older brother, she was like family, or at least, more of one than his own had ever been and he could see where he would develop a sister complex with her, she was so much better than any little peon. She was so far out of everyone’s league that no one was worthy of her. “Is there anywhere, in particular, you want to visit first?” He asked, leading her out of the hotel once they descended to the main floor.

“I want to see everything the market has to offer.” She said.

He chuckled, nodding once in answer before asking, “Tell me more about this Luna of yours. She sounds like quite the character.”

Harry laughed, “Yes, she is definitely very unique, but I love that about her. She sees the world in ways that others don’t but, I’ve never met a more honest person in my entire life.” She smiled sweetly at the thought, "I would love to have her come visit sometime. Ron and Hermione are currently enjoying their vacation so I don't want to bother them on it, but Luna is always up for exploring new countries." She rubbed absentmindedly at her chest, before her eyes landed on the first booth in the market and she quickly drew distracted by the hubbub of the market life, rushing here to there, enjoying the banter with the shopkeepers, even with Reborn translating.

Reborn, though, he wasn't the World's Greatest Hitman just for his good looks and sharp wit. He had noted the gesture she made, stored away the information for a later talk, and continued on with their exploration of the marketplace. It was while they were browsing that he allowed Harry to walk further ahead of him. He wanted her to have some space without feeling completely overwhelmed by his presence. He had a feeling that she was a Cloudy Sky under all her orange and he certainly did not want her to feel chained down or oppressed by him every moment of the day. He could already see them butting heads in the future about it, with her feeling constrained about having her independence taken away from her.

He was enjoying watching her explore the market, taking in the sights, trying the different local foods, and just genuinely enjoying her experience as a tourist. He couldn’t stop the slight stiffening as he was joined by another person, who merely joined him in watching her try some Italian ice. “What are you doing here?” Reborn asked softly, not drawing attention to the man next to him as he lowered his hat slightly.

To his credit, the man remained unflappable as he inclined his head in answer, “I was finishing up a job when I felt your flames nearby and I decided to come visit.” A soft, serene expression showed as he tucked his hands in the sleeves of his red cheongshan¹, looking for all the world to see as a man with no worries. Reborn admired and hated his level of control of his emotions, especially considering he was a Storm and they were as volatile as can be. “She has a very strong Qi for someone untrained,” Fon observed quietly, not letting his voice carry over the din of the market.

“She will be a force of nature once she learns to harness it.” Reborn agreed, staring at his Sky as she glanced over at him, beaming in happiness. He watched her eyes flick over to his companion standing next to him, a light flush coating her cheeks that both he and his fellow Arcobeleno found charming by the sudden soft hum the Storm emitted. She seemed to come to some realization before she nervously glanced away, finishing paying for the sweet treat she was holding, and made her way back to him.

Reborn found himself glancing over at the other man, noting the Storm’s personal interest at his Sky with an almost clinical thought. Despite how controlled the Storm was, he couldn’t hide the way his eyes became half-lidded or the way they seemed to spark with life as she approached. He hadn’t thought that he would have to worry about men being interested in her just quite yet, he thought he would have some time to come to terms with the fact that he would spend the rest of his life, beating others away from her or simply shooting them for daring to breathe the same air as his beloved Sky. 

Her pure happiness with spending time in the marketplace had her radiating her harmony around her and easily drawing and capturing the attention of the Storm. Teaching her to keep a tight leash on her flames became a stronger priority for him, if she was unintentionally enticing the World’s Strongest Storm, the little minnows around the world would have absolutely nothing stopping them from enamored with her as well and giving him a bigger headache. He should probably look into helping her collect her other elements as quickly as possible if only so he could train them until he deemed them Acceptable and it would give him more backup in protecting her from the unscrupulous masses. “If she is strong enough to hold me, she is strong enough to hold the hurricane of a storm you are.”

The Storm merely paused in his humming, seemed to think over what he said before he continued the humming without saying a word. Reborn nodded at the young woman, holding his arm out to her again as she stepped closer. The Sky accepted it easily, allowing him to draw her in closer to him, to safety, before gesturing over at the other man. “This is Fon, an acquaintance of mine. He is a Storm. Fon, this is Hariel, my Sky.”

Fon bowed low in greeting, braid falling to rest over his shoulder as he stood back up. “It is wonderful to make your acquaintance, Tiānkōng².”

Harry blinked up at him, mouthing something under her breath that Reborn doesn’t catch before she bowed low in answer and replied in crisp Mandarin, “Nín hǎo³."

Fon blinks, momentarily stunned before a soft, pleased smile spreads across his face, “Xiàwǔ hǎo.” He greeted her.

Reborn blinked in surprise, he didn’t know that she spoke Chinese, in fact, he was pretty sure she didn’t know the language. His brow crinkled for a moment before he smoothed out his expression to be blank. He would leave that thought process for later when he had time to digest everything, instead, he would focus on now as he watched Harry flush at the attention Fon was giving her.

Despite his possessive nature, he didn’t feel intimidated having Fon approach his Sky, instead, he felt like... He straightened as he realized what he was feeling, shooting a glance over to the Storm to see him staring back at him. He was the first element, and her right hand, it was considered polite flame etiquette to receive approval from the first to court a Sky. It allowed better harmony between elements as if they got along, it allowed an easier transitioning time for the Sky. Reborn inclined his head, answering Fon’s unspoken question. He would give the storm permission to court her as her Storm.

Fon’s reputation precedes him, and Reborn knows that for the man to dominate the entire Chinese underground, he would have to be not only an impressive fighter but one who unquestionably dominated the entire Underground Fight scene. If someone needed an Enforcer, someone to intimidate or to be put in a difficult situation, he would be the man to call. He would be a good fit for Harry, Reborn thought, Fon wasn’t someone who would force a situation; instead, he was a good mediator, but he wouldn’t allow it to pass a threshold before he would annihilate anyone who attempted to circumvent the rules of engagement. He was honorable, even for an enforcer - with a terrifying reputation to back up his hard-earned skills.

Harry looked up at Reborn, glancing at him from under her thick lashes and he grunted, looking away just as quickly. “Madre di Dio,” he whispered under his breath, she was going to put him in an early grave. She was far too precious for her own good. He was a dignified man with a terrifying reputation that had mafiosa shaking in their boots and he should not be so easily swayed by his Sky looking absolutely adorable, he refused to accept it.

Fon chuckled lightly, face radiating amusement from their interaction. “I am delighted to make your acquaintance today.”

Harry glanced over at him, flushing lightly, as she demurely looked down at her feet, “I am pleased to meet you as well.”

“Do you care for tea?” He asked, tilting his head in curiosity. 

Harry’s eyes lit up in surprise, “Is there a good tea house nearby you could recommend?”

Fon smiled, “I do in fact have one that I enjoy visiting if you would care to visit the establishment with me.”

A shy smile spread across her face as she stepped towards Fon, “I’ve needed a good cuppa. May I ask, what is your favorite?”

“I prefer a warm cup of oolong tea, myself. What is yours?” Fon asked, leading the way down the sidewalks and away from the marketplace. Reborn followed quietly behind them, giving the two space to talk and get to know each other.

“I prefer Darjeeling, but only the first flush or Assam. Though I am good with just about any kind of tea - I try not to be too picky.” Harry flushed brighter when Fon raised a hand to brush some flyaway strands of hair behind her.

“Tea is always better in good company than it is alone,” Fon commented.

“I do enjoy drinking tea with friends.” Harry shared.

Making small talk, their trip was short and they arrived at a small hole-in-the-wall establishment where Fon led the trio to a table after talking with the host quietly. The waiter arrived at their table with three cups of tea already prepared as Fon had ordered for the three of them when he spoke with the host. 

Harry couldn’t deny the small groan of appreciation at the taste of the tea once she tried it, oblivious to the startled - from Reborn - and interested - from Fon - reactions she received from her tablemates as she hummed lightly, enjoying the taste of the blend. Winky was a dear, she was absolutely fantastic at caring for Teddy, being mindful of needs by her people but she just didn’t have the right touch with tea.

She could make a passable cup but she didn’t enjoy the taste of tea, and it was always very apparent. But this cup had been made by someone who knew their blends, enjoyed the brewing and taste of it. It made the experience much more enjoyable and she could feel her body relax in her chair at the familiar taste. That had been one downside of leaving Britain, no where else was as obsessed with tea and she didn’t want to hurt Winky’s feelings by ordering tea and having it delivered to her room.

“May I inquire,” Fon asked, sipping his own tea, “As to why you are so far from home?”

Harry glanced over at him, taking a moment to savor the sip of tea she just had before she answered, “Well, I found myself desperately in need of a change of scenery after some...eventful circumstances.” She hedged around the answer before staring at him and asking, “And yourself?”

“I am here on a business trip,” Fon replied, eye smiling at her as he refilled his cup of tea with the pot that the waiter had dropped off. “Have you and Reborn been bonded for long?” Fon asked, seemingly ignoring the Sun who instead, had his phone out texting. For all that the Hitman seemed to not be paying attention, Fon had a feeling that he could pull his gun out and shoot someone in less than three seconds. The man had been terrifying in their previous encounters, and Fon knew that if it came to a showdown, it would be a close call on who would win.

“We bonded together only a few days ago,” Harry said.

“Have you ever been to China?” Fon asked, gazing at her over his tea.

“No, but I’ve seen pictures and movies on the telly when I was younger. I’m sure it’s an absolutely beautiful country.”

“If you ever decide to go, I would love to give you a tour of my homeland.” Fon offered, smile widening from small and discreet to pleased as she nodded her assent.

“Thank you for the offer, Fon. I’ll take you up on it.”

Reborn cleared his throat, looking up from his phone. “We should be heading back now.”

Harry nodded in agreement once she looked at the time on his phone and realized that they had already been out for two hours. “Can we meet again?” Harry asked, glancing over at Fon to see him visibly preening at her attention.

“Nothing would delight me more than to do so,” Fon answered, getting up out of his chair. The Sky stood up as well, feeling nervous as the man walked closer before pausing within her space, giving her ample time to move away. When she didn’t, he leaned forward before placing a light kiss to her cheek. He lingered for a moment, gazing at her before he sighed softly and stepped back away from her. “Until the next time we meet.” He murmured before he left some lira on the table and walked out.

Harry watched him leave before she glanced at Reborn wide-eyed, “That was,” she paused for the right word, “intense.”

Reborn laughed wholeheartedly, pulling her to his side and leading her out of the tea shop and to begin making their way to the hotel. “You haven’t seen anything yet, my dear.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Literately, I have never before been so overwhelmed by the outpour of support from everyone. I have cried several times from how wonderful the reviews and comments have been, I could not have asked for anything more. Thank you all.
> 
> This chapter and the next, I wrote in the span of 4 days. It's literally because everyone inspired me so much for this - I cannot even believe it. After chapter 4, I have some outtakes prewritten up, but I haven't started chapter 5 yet. I just wanted to surprise you all with 3 and 4 as a thank you.
> 
> To those who asked: my son has recovered and I'm so beyond thankful that he managed to fight off and recover from this, we are one of the lucky ones and I count my blessings every day for it. He is back to normal and full of energy.
> 
> So, to summarise, chapter 3 and 4 is a gift to you all.


	4. Life...Finds A Way: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two more people are introduced, cuteness is seen by all, and cuddles are perfection.
> 
> Don't forget to keep wrackspurts away, think positive thoughts!

By the time twenty minutes passed, the duo was back at the hotel and Reborn stopped by the front desk to request a bellhop to pick up the luggage and load the suitcases away in the boot of the car Reborn rented and that was waiting in the valet area. When they made it up to the room, Winky was waiting promptly with several suitcases and the baby tucked into a car seat, napping peacefully. The move from the hotel Harry, Winky, and Teddy had been staying at to the safe house Reborn had procured after the first meeting with the Arcabaleno, went relatively quickly all things considered once Harry finished checking out from her extended stay.

Reborn had directed Harry to sit next to him in the front, with Teddy secured in the back next to Winky, who sat stiffly, blank-faced. The Hitman still wasn’t sure what he should expect from the maid but he hadn’t wanted to bring up the strange, inhuman reactions the woman had. She was just too… other to be human but he didn’t have an idea of what she could be or why Harry trusted her so thoroughly.

And there was another issue that was pinging his attention and flaring up his guardian instincts. The very first night he had stayed at the hotel with Harry, he had explored every single inch of the suite, had gone over every bit of the items in the suite and he had definitely  _ not  _ seen any of the suitcases nor half of the contents in them, curious and curiouser. Where had they come from in such a short amount of time?

His attention drifted back to one of the previous conversations they had had, about their childhoods. He still couldn’t get the imagery out of his mind. He would trade everything in his bank account - a substantial amount as while he projected an air of someone who spent a lot of money, he also made a lot of money - for a picture of her as a child, he could imagine her with her soft hair, tumbling around her shoulders, wide eyes under wire-rimmed glasses and the biggest smile on her face. It was a cute enough mental image to give him a goddamn heart attack.

He could imagine his gravestone: Here lies Renato Sinclair, the World's Greatest Hitman, killed by pure cuteness. Ugh. He groaned at the thought before glancing over to the passenger seat again only to catch eyes with Harry, who grinned happily at him and made the entire thing worth it even if it made him feel grumpy.

They ended up making good time to arrive at the safe house a few hours later and Reborn was quick to herd everyone upstairs to the condo and into safety. The Hitman had already had the windows replaced with tinted, superimposed glass that would stop a bullet from entering. Combined with his usual paranoia (though, was it really paranoia when he really had people out to get him?), the house was safer than even the Vongola estates - though that didn't say much considering he broke into it frequently to bug Timoteo.

He allowed the group to settle in, immediately placing an order for food to be delivered to the condo across the street that he also owned as a decoy. He had called ahead and had some items delivered earlier by one of his contacts including a cot for the baby to rest in. It gave him a prime opportunity to observe all activities with the decoy condo while staying in his safe house. He ushered Harry into the master room, making adjustments for the baby to stay in the room with her as well as Winky before he took the spare room.

They ended up going out to eat for dinner, once he noticed that Harry seemed slightly cooped up and he had a feeling that she wanted to stretch her legs after the car ride. He offered up a local restaurant that they could stop at, that offered some exquisite pasta. They were leaving the dinner when Harry stopped suddenly in the middle of the walkway, startling Reborn into glancing around rapidly, searching for a threat. He noted nothing, no obvious weapons, no sign of a disturbance except for a familiar man with bright purple accents and an obnoxious attitude as he flailed while he spoke with someone at a food stand on the sidewalk. Reborn could already feel his lip curling in disgust.

"Skull?" Harry called out hesitantly, her expression shifting from unsure to shining brightly with happiness as he turned around and she got a good look at his face. He was with his usual face full of makeup, hair dyed a deep purple and covered in piercings and Reborn watched with pure disbelief as his Sky seemed to radiate delight at his presence. Reborn was almost tempted to just grab his Sky and run, he could feel the headache forming already. This just spelled trouble.

To Skull's credit, it only took him a moment of curiously inspecting the young woman before he seemed to register who she was and he also lit up, his face broadcasting every joyous emotion before he leaped forward, easily leaving the booth behind to pick her up and spin her around in a circle, causing her to giggle happily before hugging her tightly to him as if she would disappear if he didn't cling to her. Reborn wanted to peel his fingers off, skin layer by skin layer for daring to touch her. No one was worthy of touching her, least of all _the lackey._

"I never thought that I would see you again, Skull." She murmured into his chest, hands clasping him just as tightly.

He let go of the hug just enough to gently cradle her face, a wide, cheesy grin evident as he answered her, "Skull-sama never thought he would see his little spitfire all grown up, and so beautiful too." He teased at the end, watching her face pink up in a bright blush. 

"Skull, I am so happy to have found you again. Ah!” She paused before smiling just as happily, “I want to introduce you to someone. This is Reborn.” She turned to gesture at the hitman who had a blank if the stony expression on his face.

Skull immediately cringed at seeing him there, blanching in fear and chuckling nervously "Ah, Reborn-sempai, I didn't expect to see you here."

Harry blinked in surprise, "Oh, you already know each other?" At the same time, Reborn asked darkly,  "How do you know her?" His sentence came out sharp with the promise of a cruel punishment if he didn't like the answer, especially considering the Cloud had yet to remove his hands from her body. Every instinct in the Sun was demanding that he evaporate the Cloud and dissolve the hands that had dared to touch what belonged to him. It was taking everything in his power not to pull out Leon and simply shoot him and it was purely from the fact that Harry was so close to him that was stopping him from doing so, as he would never willingly put her in harm's way.

"Ahh," he raised a hand to rub the back of his head sheepishly even while he kept one hand wrapped around her waist, "I met Spitfire when I first was on tour in England. Back about, oh right, nine? Years ago I believe. She snuck onto the property to watch the show and then got adopted by the snake lady, Marie’s anaconda, Phillipe. Phillipe refused to be removed from his new favorite person so she stuck around until the circus packed up and left. Broke my heart to leave the little spitfire behind. Never thought I’d see her again all grown up, but who could possibly forget those bright eyes or that charming smile.” He poked her cheek with his free hand, delighted in her peels of laughter as she playfully shoved him.

“Harry?” Reborn asked, one hand twitching at his side.

The Sky stared at Skull for a moment longer before heading over to Reborn to stand at his side though she kept one hand to rub disappointedly at her chest, already feeling the ache forming. “It feels like being reunited with something I’ve missed for years.” She sighed and Reborn couldn’t have possibly stopped the exasperated sigh from erupting from him if he tried. Of course, his life would get more complicated. 

“Very well. Lackey, you’re coming with us.” He sighed once up, muttering under his breath as he tried vainly to ignore the pure happiness that erupted from the Sky as she held out her hand to the Cloud, eager to have him close. “Let’s head back to the condo. Lackey, do you have anywhere to be before the meeting?”

“No, I was just killing time before the meeting anyway,” Skull answered, cradling her offered hand in his own as Reborn led the trio back the way they had originally come.

By the time they had made it back, Reborn was grumbling even more than usual over his precious time with his Sky being impacted. The evening had worn on to the night and Reborn directed the Cloud to the couch to sleep. He was already giving up his own bed for his Sky - the Lackey was lucky that he was tolerating him enough to even know about his safe house and to have a couch to sleep on. If Reborn had had his way, he would have shot the Lackey until he was as far away from his Sky as could possibly be. The stuntman was a hindrance at best and an absolute pain in his side at worst.

That night was a rough one as Reborn kept twitching every time he heard the other potential guardian - though he had a feeling that she had already started courting Skull back before she had turned Active and they already had the fledgling beginnings of a bond that had laid dormant as the years passed. He could already feel the frustration building at the thought of having to share his Sky with the Cloud. Life couldn’t possibly get any more aggravating, right?

He lay motionless in the darkness of the room - oh no, he had just called upon the fates to grant him as much chaos as they could possibly throw at him, didn’t he?

* * *

Harry hummed under her breath, head resting in Skull's lap with her eyes closed as the stunt driver ran his fingers through her hair. She hadn't felt peace like this in so long - because while she had bonded with  _ Fred&George _ , they had been her mists and she their sky, she hadn't gotten a lot of time with them from the fifth year on - the war had robbed her of the time with her mists and had robbed her of her bond.

Slowly, she could feel the hurt easing, not miraculously cured but it wasn't as painful as it had been only weeks ago that would leave her sobbing in despair. Having a stable bond with Reborn, with Skull, was helping settle her emotions. She didn't feel so lost, so alone. Life had been cruel and unkind and finally, she was getting her little bit of happiness, piece by piece even if it felt like she had to pull teeth from fate just to receive it.

The Sky snuggled deeper into his lap, enjoying the comfort offered as Reborn had left to run an errand. He had only done so after bodily threatening the Cloud with a fate worse than death and Harry was going to soak up as many cuddles with the Cloud before Reborn came back and got all jealous and snarky again. Though she did find immense amusement in his reactions, she could already see where that was going to chafe her something fierce once they got past the honeymoon stage of their bond.

She knew the blow-up was going to be spectacular and she had already warned Winky that the first signs of her temper to take Teddy and hide in one of the Unplottable Black Estates until she came to collect them.

The knock on the front door had the duo pausing. Reborn had already explained that no one knew of the apartment. Harry opened her eyes to stare at Skull as he froze for half a second before scooting her head gently off his lap as he stood up to answer it, pausing momentarily to flail as he attempted to signal to her to go hide which she happily ignored with an eye roll. 

Skull glanced through the peephole only to blink in surprise and open the door partway, "Can I help you?"

"Hello, you have lovely tobjulwak floating around your head. They like attaching themselves to free spirits, you know." The dreamy tone had Harry jerking up off of the couch and rushing over to the door.

"Luna!"

"Hello, my Sky. I felt you calling for me and I arrived." Luna explained, standing with her trademark radishes in her ears, a bottle cap necklace, and wide, colorful shades on her eyes.

Harry laughed, feeling the emptiness that had been there disappear just by her arrival. "I missed you, Luna." She reached forward to tug her into the apartment and into a tight hug.

"I waited for you. You needed the twins before you needed me. I knew I needed to wait and you are worth the years I did."

Harry leaned her forehead against Luna's, closing her eyes and breathing out underlying stress she didn't even know she had, but now that it was leaving her, she could feel the weight leaving her shoulders as they sagged. "You waited, thank you."

"My mum always said things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end. If not always in the ways we expect.1"

Harry merely smiled in response, tugging her further into the room before glancing over at Skull, "Luna, this is Skull, he's my-"

"Your Cloud? And the Sun isn't here right now. He's very covered in Wrackspurts, you know. I am  _ your _ Mist, of course."

"Of course." Harry agreed easily, chuckling at the far-away gaze the blonde sported.

"One of the last ones closer than the last two, though I think you may have already met," Luna informed her matter of factly, taking a seat on the couch at Harry's prompting.

Skull easily pulled Harry to cuddle him in his lap as Luna accepted a cup of tea from Winky, thanking her politely. "What...what does that mean?" Skull asked, glancing down at Harry.

"With Luna, it could mean a hundred different things. It won't make sense until you look back and think, oh, duh. Trust me." She explained, shrugging lightly. "I've long since given up trying to completely understand her code but I love her all the same for never changing it."

"Are you looking forward to meeting your Famiglia?" Luna asked, eyes focused somewhere past Harry's ear.

"We are meeting them tomorrow for me to discuss what I need to in order to officially become the Head of the family," Harry explained.

"You should bring Teddy tomorrow, I think he would enjoy exploring the gardens of the Nero villa." Luna offered as a hint before the clarity came back to her eyes and she stared at her friend. "Your Sun approaches."

Harry twisted in Skull's lap, grinning as the door opened to reveal Reborn who immediately whipped out his gun upon seeing a stranger seated near his Sky. "It's alright, it's Luna. She came to complete our bond as my Mist."

"I was gone for twenty minutes!" He looked at her, "How did she find you?"

Luna merely smiled serenely at the hitman, looking not one bit worried about still having the gun pointed at her. "I placed a tracking charm on the anklet I gave her in our fifth year that she has never taken off. I can follow her to the Ends of the World, to the next life and beyond, and she will never be too far from my Sight or reach. I have always belonged to her, I've just waited for her to be ready to belong to me, Sun."

Harry watched with wide eyes as several moments passed before Reborn dropped his gun and it turned back into his companion. The witch was eager to immediately hold out her hands, cradling the chameleon once Reborn placed him in her hands and began cooing and cuddling Leon, rubbing her face against his and giving him all sorts of love.

"I swear I can't leave you alone," Reborn muttered as he headed into the kitchen with the bags of groceries.

"Be prepared for a lifetime of fun." Skull laughed as he hugged Harry tight, being mindful of the chameleon who didn't hate him merely as much as his owner. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, this is a special thank you to all of the wonderful reviews I received in the past week. I don't have chapter 5 written yet but I do have a general idea of the scenes for the chapter itself and I have somewhat of a general timeline for the story even if I don't actually know where I'm going to end this story. *shrugs*
> 
> Also, suddenly Reborn became like a big brother and Fon somehow seduced me? Not sure how it happened but it did, so that's now the direction we are heading.
> 
> 1\. This is a direct quote from the lovely Luna in the book series : )


End file.
